Astonished People Take Risks Post Tinnitus Remission

I notice that people that experienced considerable diminishing of or complete remission from tinnitus continually note that they are careful to use ear protection when going to nightclubs/concerts now.

To me, this is insane behavior. How could someone whose suffered for a considerable period of time with basically unlivable lifestyle restraints decide that it’s worth rolling the dice to reclaim one night of (expensive) fun? It’s like sharing a needle with an HIV-positive who’s on Truvada. Why the hell would you take that risk, knowing full well you’ve sustained life-altering damage?

 

There are many reasons why someone would consider going:

1) Ignorance

2) Age. The young may not realise the consequences or have a care free attitude. Some will not even heard of Tinnitus and continue their lifestyle simply because its not causing them physical pain. Peer pressure is also a reason. For those older and settled in jobs/relationship then maybe not the urge to go out to clubs etc.

3) Personality. Some of us maybe overcautious than others.

4) Risk: Some people just take risks in life and can deal with the consequences. Some are not bothered at the loudness of the Tinnitus. The risk becomes higher when after Tinnitus reduces (if that ever happens) then they continually go out at very loud events every weekend with ear plugs. For those that may just test the waters very occasionally and take precautions then that maybe the way forward. Not everyone has unlivable tinnitus and if there Tinnitus has gone down then at least you think they take calculated risks in future with ear protection and not prolonging noise exposure. You just cannot live like a hermit.

65 Depression. For those whose social life has been totally destroyed. Total isolation can lead to downward spiral. We are just social creatures I am afraid and we have all been there when the temptation to go out has been sky high.

 

It was ignorance for me. I had very mild tinnitus and no noticeable changes in hearing for 16 years. I got tinnitus when I was 10 and just lived with it, never looked into it because the stupid fucking doctors were never able to tell me why I had it. I had no idea it was a huge red flag as to the fragility of my shitty ears. There's not enough awareness about tinnitus and noise exposure.

I hope there's a special place in hell for these loud concert/club organizers. If there had been a warning sign on the tickets that the dB level would cause damage in SECONDS I never would've risked it. The Canadian gov't plasters cigarette packs with horrific cancer images and has gone out of their way to discourage smoking. Same deal with legal pot now, packaging plastered with danger! danger! danger!

I had a friend say, "yea but it's common sense loud noise is bad for your ears." While that may be true, without EXPLICIT warning signs young people especially ASSUME the risk is low/negligible and that "they have to play it a safe level." Or that it's an acceptable dose so you wont notice any damage until you're 50. With the countless anti-smoking campaigns we were educated with in school, I think it's far more common sense at this point in time that smoking is bad, than it is that concerts CAN RUIN YOUR HEARING. When I was going thru school, not once did someone talk to us about damaging levels of sound.

 

Yeah I figured the worst that could happen would be some temporary or at worst minor hearing damage at loud concerts. Never knew anything about tinnitus but I was never much of a concert/club-goer. It’d be insanely easy to edit these out of the rest of my life. Noise exposures at the gym, well, that’s my sanctuary and the environment of my vocation. I’m basically fucked too.

 

We live in a culture of noise, too. I can remember the teachers in school in the 90's using funds to buy full on rock concert speakers for events in the gym. They would encourage us to scream, "louder! what's that? I can't hear you!" They'd bring the god damn speakers out for fundraisers etc. and blast "it's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A" while children were feet away." I can remember my Grandparents leaving the gym at an event because it was just too bloody loud for my Grandfather, a retired factory worker.

I even had this one fat cow of a 2nd grade teacher who literally thought she was Brittney Spears with her microphone when they started installing speakers in classrooms.

 

Honestly these aren’t really what I’m talking about. I’m referring to those of whom are moderate to severe sufferers who’ve healed to a mild status or are in complete remission.

I agree with you about the depression part though, isolation isn’t good for you but honestly I’d be completely fine if I could just perform my work activities, lift weights, and hang out with friends in safe social environments (e.g. not concerts/clubs/stadiums/arenas) although I would miss going to Indians games I would gladly trade never seeing another live sports game again over risking tinnitus recurrence).

 

Alcohol.

 

Ok. I have zero interest in rehashing this conversation but understand you are describing the disproportionate majority of people.

 

If I was so blessed to have complete remission or considerable diminishment from tinnitus I would be content to give up golf, kayak fishing, going to Nats games, anything to simply live the rest of my life loving on my wife (watching her smile again) and spending more time with our son. Very Simple. But then again I am 60, but other than tinnitus a healthy 60.

 

I never even heard of Tinnitus until I got it myself and I’m 26! I’ve been going to concerts since I was about 17 or so, not a ton but like 1-2 a year here and there. I’ve never seen anyone wear any ear plugs. My friends all have older siblings who have joined us who also don’t wear ear plugs. I literally had no idea this kind of hell could occur

I thought worst case scenario you might be a bit deaf and have to yell “what” at your grandkids when you’re 70. Not be completely isolated at 26 and having to avoid almost all social interactions.

I know life isn’t fair but this...this is the definition of not fair

 

I'm 26 as well, now with the hearing of a 60 year old induatrial worker it seems.

 

I’m the opposite, I feel like I can hear a pin drop a mile away

 

How would you hear it over your tinnitus?

 

I don't think I would even mind giving up gigs and football games one bit, if my tinnitus went away. I can listen to music and watch games at home, too. If I had to trade these two events in for silence, I so happily would. There's plenty I could do without worrying - just having fun in the city during the day, grabbing a coffee, etc. But then again, I really, really never thought I'd be in this boat. Music is my literal everything. Go figure how desperate tinnitus can make a person, lol.

edit: I'm so thankful I got to see my favourite band to which I owe my life before this hell started. No, I didn't have any ringing after that

 

The irony is our world is so loud yet most live so ignorantly to the dangers to their ‘hearing health’. People are more concerned with their vision than their hearing. It needs to be equal.

I have been living with this condition since my late 20s and life has changed. I’m now mid 40s. If I knew then what I know now .....

 

My tinnitus is a loud hissing/sizzle and I have Hyperacusis so I feel like I have elephant ears and can hear everything

 

Wow I hope I can make it to my 40’s with this thing. Mid twenties rn

 

@Orions Pain
I agree with Orion’s Pain. I have tinnitus and hyperacusis but I can hear a bird on a limb drop a load in the whole for firing. My heart goes out to those, such as my wife with tinnitus, that have significant hearing loss and cannot hear the rain drops hitting our window. I see her frustration everyday. So I get it. With my hyperacusis raindrops hitting our windows sounds like stones. I am really tired of feeling like a prisoner in my body with my brain serving as the warden and my ears a guard named Bull who repeatedly clubs me with a night stick. Ughh

 

I've had terrible eyesight since I was a kid. It's been fairly stable for a while now, but basically I know that my eyes are bad and CAN get worse again. Meanwhile my hearing and silence were sacred to me. I've always had above average hearing, being able to hear the softest sounds (I can literally hear the prickle of my sparkling water in a glass even with background noise - and yes, even with my tinnitus!) But as such, I definitely took care of my ears. Better than most people, I bet. I do agree though that our world is too loud. I've been commenting on that for years and years. Some shops I wouldn't even go to because they were too loud in my opinion. Always plugged my ears near sirens or other loud noises etc, which I know isn't fantastic protection but better than nothing...

Have had some colleagues tell me they never noticed how loud the world is until I got tinnitus, now several of them are taking more care. Hope I can prevent this for them.

 

It’s crazy how one condition can lead to two drastic paths. Either you don’t hear anything or get these bionic ears that cause you to pick up on sounds most can ignore. I honestly don’t know which one is worse.

 

Me too on the sparkling water in a glass!
I wonder how many people here can hear that tone that supposedly only teens can hear.

I’ve also scared a few friends into using ear plugs. I’ve been surprised to learn how many of my friends have tinnitus but for them it’s at that “only hear it in a quiet room” stage. I’m hoping they learn from my example however I worry that while they’ll wear them to concerts, there are still a ton of loud things like sporting events and bars that often exceed 90 dB, so that combines with alcohol for hours on the end can’t be good for the ears either

 

Oh yeah, I'm not a big drinker. House parties, maybe, but never to concerts or sport events. I should say thought that I've been able to hear all these soft and high pitched noises for all my life. Usually my brain tunes them out after a while. You're only a few years older than me so our hearing would probably be considered to be in the same range, but I know for a fact that mine is way better than most early to mid twenties lol. Which is another reason I'm so confused I'm dealing with this as there really isn't any specific cause or event I can pin it on.

I, too, am surprised to hear I know several people with tinnitus, all who lead normal lives, go out to bars and concerts etc and are completely fine all the time. Tinnitus is a very strange condition.

 

I’ve always been bothered by certain sounds way more than other people even before Tinnitus. One time I was in an Uber and the driver was smacking around his gum so loud it was making my skin crawl, I literally got out and decided to walk. So I think I’ve always been hyper sensitive.

This, combined with drinking and loud parties and concerts from like the age of 17 up to now, I’m actually kind of surprised I didn’t get Tinnitus sooner, but mine was never in that mild quiet stage that my friends have. It went to debilitating right from the onset.

One difference between me and my friends is I’ve been under General anesthesia twice and have also taken about a week long course of anti-biotics twice, as well as pain killers for a few days. I’m sure this did some damage to my ears faster.

But I’m also sure most of my friends will have fairly bad Tinnitus once they hit their 30’s or 40’s if they continue with the habits they have now. I have a feeling it’s going to become an epidemic at some point in the future. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like Tinnitus is becoming more and more common amongst young people

 

I did not listen to loud music in headphones.

 

Epidemic is just what the medical sector is banking on. There are huge profits to be made off of current and future sufferers.

 

I am sorry you have had to endure the symptoms of this heinous condition for so long. Just know that your words have a long and positive impact on those just acquiring this condition.

 

May I ask... was it once course of neomycin... or how much caused the tinnitus?

Yeah my hyperacusis is more like super pain, not super hearing... my tinnitus/hearing loss can get in the way of hearing normal stuff.

If you have “super hearing” can’t you just balance that by wearing earplugs? If I wear earplugs I take away the hearing I have left... just curious how this all works for others.

 

Fingers crossed we get something soon. A cure would be amazing and obviously best case scenario but at this point a treatment would be helpful as well. I think I could live with mild tinnitus

 

I 100% agree. Lately I’m afraid to enjoy stuff around the city because my hearing has gotten so sensitive so even places like coffee shops with music spike my anxiety

Crazy how just a few months ago I could go into a loud Miami nightclub with no fear and now I’m afraid of the bell they ring at Trader Joe’s registers lol. Life is weird

 

There are already tons of reports of Air Pods causing Tinnitus and where I live it’s impossible to walk 2 steps without seeing someone with little white things in their ears